Written Answers

Wednesday 19 July 2000

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to ensure that alcohol abuse projects which are running successfully do not find their funding at risk after the start-up year, given that for every £1 of central funding, £3 must be sourced elsewhere.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is committed to working with other funders to promote a stable funding environment for the voluntary sector including alcohol misuse projects. The Executive published Good Practice Guidance on funding of voluntary organisations to its departments, agencies and NDPB’s on 13 June. The Executive actively supports three-year funding for voluntary organisations.

Breastfeeding

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many mothers breastfed their babies in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999, and what the target is for 2000.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is committed to the long-term aim set in 1994 of 50% of women breastfeeding their babies at six weeks, by 2005.

  No breastfeeding target has been set for 2000. However, information on previous years’ breastfeeding rates in Scotland is available on the Internet within the dedicated website "Breastfeeding in Scotland", which includes information on research, statistics, good practice and other resources and can be accessed at http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/breastfeed/.

Breastfeeding

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much is being spent on the campaign to increase the numbers of mothers who breastfeed and how it intends to evaluate the success or otherwise of the campaign.

Susan Deacon: The Health Education Board for Scotland (HEBS) was actively involved in promoting Breastfeeding Awareness Week, which ran from 14-20 May 2000. For this financial year HEBS has allocated £30,000 to produce materials for Breastfeeding Awareness Week and also to develop a new five-year strategy for breastfeeding.

  Success can only be measured when breastfeeding rates increase both at birth and at six weeks or longer. Breastfeeding rates have been improving in Scotland over the past decade or so, but there is still a long way to go if we are to achieve our target of having 50% of women breastfeeding their babies at six weeks, by 2005. To help in achieving this target, the Scottish Executive supports and funds the Scottish Breastfeeding Group and the National Breastfeeding Adviser.

Caledonian MacBrayne

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7850 by Sarah Boyack on 26 June 2000, whether any documents relating to Caledonian MacBrayne have not been put into the Scottish Parliament Information Centre for the reason stated.

Sarah Boyack: A range of papers relating to Caledonian MacBrayne falling within the categories exempted from the commitment to provide information under the terms of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information have not been provided to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre on the basis that disclosure would have harmed the frankness and candour of internal discussion within the Scottish Executive.

  I am satisfied that, whenever it has been appropriate for the Scottish Executive to provide information to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre on matters relating to Caledonian MacBrayne, that information has been provided.

Climate Change Levy

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given local authorities about the eligibility criteria which they must meet in order to claim exemption from the climate change levy.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Energy Efficiency Office (SEEO) is in contact with local authority energy managers and with CoSLA to ensure that all authorities are aware of how the climate change levy will affect them and what they can do to mitigate its impact. Seminars, press articles and the SEEO website are also being used to disseminate information on the CCL, including advice on how electricity from qualifying renewable energy sources and good quality Combined Heat and Power schemes will be exempt from the levy.

Crofters Commission

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the new Secretary to the Crofters Commission has a background and experience in crofting.

Ross Finnie: While a crofting community background would obviously be desirable, it is more important that the successful candidate is selected on the basis of strong organisational, leadership and management skills to ensure he or she is able to lead the commission through a period of structural and organisational change. The commission itself has the necessary understanding and knowledge of crofting.

Enterprise

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all of the firms which have received financial aid from the Scottish Enterprise Network in the last five years, specifying in each case the level of aid granted, the terms under which aid was granted and the firm’s current trading status.

Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask the Chairman of Scottish Enterprise to write to Mr Fergusson, a copy of which will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Reference Centre.

Enterprise

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs were created in the last five years by each firm which received financial assistance from the Scottish Enterprise Network in this period; how this figure compares in each case to any initial agreement concerning jobs made when the financial assistance was first agreed, and how many jobs have subsequently been lost at each of these firms.

Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask the Chairman of Scottish Enterprise to write to Mr Fergusson, a copy of which will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Reference Centre.

Gulf War Veterans

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many ex-Gulf War personnel in Scotland are currently receiving treatment through the NHS in Scotland for medical conditions that the patients define as Gulf War related illnesses and what these illnesses are.

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a co-ordinating body of medical experts within the NHS in Scotland overseeing treatment of Gulf War related illnesses.

Susan Deacon: The responsibility for Gulf veterans rests with the Ministry of Defence. The issues raised are reserved to the UK Parliament.

Health

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the proportion is of "speciality" intensive care unit beds relative to (a) other acute sector low technology or "ordinary" beds and (b) long stay beds, broken down by health board area for each of the last four years for which figures are available.

Susan Deacon: Information on the number of intensive care beds per 100 other acute beds, and per 100 long stay beds by health board area for the years ending 31 March 1998 and 1999 is given in the table. Comparable figures for March 1997 are not available due to recording classification changes.

  NHS In Scotland1: Intensive Care Unit Beds Per 100 Other Acute2 and 100 Long Stay3 Beds By Health Board Area: Years Ending 31 March 1998 And 1999

  


Health Board


Per 100 Other 
Acute2 Beds


Per 100 Long Stay 
Beds3



 

1998


1999


1998


1999




Argyll and Clyde


0.6


0.6


1.0


1.1




Ayrshire and Arran


1.3


1.6


3.6


4.4




Borders


1.2


1.3


3.2


3.5




Dumfries and Galloway


1.4


1.6


3.1


3.7




Fife


1.5


1.5


3.0


3.1




Forth Valley


1.1


1.2


1.6


2.0




Grampian


0.7


0.8


2.0


2.7




Greater Glasgow


1.2


1.2


3.3


3.8




Highland


0.8


0.8


4.1


4.2




Lanarkshire


1.0


1.0


2.3


2.5




Lothian


1.4


1.5


4.4


4.9




Orkney


-


-


-


-




Shetland


-


-


-


-




Tayside


0.8


0.9


2.7


2.9




Western Isles


-


-


-


-




Scotland


1.0


1.1


2.7


3.1




  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Includes NHS beds in joint-user and contractual hospitals.

  2. Comprises all specialties excluding the following: obstetrics, neonatal, psychiatric, learning disabilities, geriatric long stay, younger physically disabled and geriatric assessment.

  3. Comprises geriatric long stay and younger physically disabled.

Health

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in reducing the costs to health boards and NHS Trusts of prescribing generic drugs.

Susan Deacon: The UK Government announced on 20 April proposals to set, from 1 August 2000, maximum prices for generic drugs. The consultation period ended on 24 May and there has subsequently been a further, limited consultation with the industry on revised maximum prices. My officials are in discussion with the Scottish Pharmaceutical General Council (SPGC) about the changes needed to the reimbursement arrangements for community pharmacists to ensure that the benefits of the proposed price cuts reach the NHSiS and patients. The overall prices of generic drugs have shown a consistent but modest rate of decline over recent months.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what each Primary Care Trust’s drugs overspend is.

Susan Deacon: Provision for prescribing is included as part of the overall resources within health boards’ unified budgets. It is for health boards to decide locally how to allocate and manage their unified budget. Whilst final accounts have still to be audited, provisional figures suggest that no health board had a cash overspend.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths are attributed in each of the last three years for which figures are available to (a) smoking and (b) atmospheric pollution.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not held centrally.

  It is not possible to give precise figures on deaths resulting from tobacco use. However, it is estimated that each year more than 13,000 people in Scotland die from smoking-related diseases, including lung cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke (figures taken from The UK Smoking Epidemic; deaths in 1995).

  From estimates made for the United Kingdom as a whole by the Independent Expert Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants, it is estimated that the number of deaths in Scotland brought forward by exposure to particulate, sulphur dioxide and ozone in ambient air is about 2,000 per year. This estimate is approximate because it does not take into account other pollutants or possible long-term effects on health and the figure in itself may be an underestimate.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why it is necessary to have two organisations, the Health Technology Board for Scotland and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidance Network, compared with one organisation, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, in England and Wales.

Susan Deacon: Scotland’s arrangements for clinical effectiveness are different from England and Wales. The Report of the Working Group on the Implementation of a Scottish Health Technology Assessment Centre, published on 17 November 1999, explains the reasons for establishing a special health board and how the board will work with reference to Scotland’s ongoing clinical effectiveness agenda led by the Clinical Resources and Audit Group (CRAG) and involving the Chief Scientists Office and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN).

  SIGN is an independent network of clinicians drawn from all Scottish medical colleges with financial support from CRAG. SIGN has produced over 40 guidelines since its establishment in 1993. SIGN enjoys an international reputation on guidance methodology and the new Health Technology Board will benefit from a close working and sharing of methodological expertise with SIGN.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the current investment in resuscitation suites in major accident and emergency departments.

Susan Deacon: Additional funding of £11 million was made available earlier in the year from the Capital Modernisation Fund for the modernisation of A&E services. It is for health boards and NHS Trusts to determine the level of investment required in a particular service in accordance with local needs and priorities.

Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many beds in Angus hospitals are currently blocked and what measures are being taken to address any problems in this respect.

Susan Deacon: Reducing the number of delayed discharges is a high priority for the Scottish Executive. £60 million is being made available to the NHS – on top of existing record levels of funding – to accelerate delivery of a number of priorities including a reduction in the number of delayed discharges. A learning network is also being established to encourage the sharing of best practice in this area.

  As regards the number of blocked beds in Angus hospitals, this is an issue for the Tayside Health Board to answer in consultation with the NHS Trusts and local authority partners. We also recently announced that an additional £10 million taken from the central reserve would be used specifically to help tackle delayed discharges and thus free up "blocked beds" this winter.

Health

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will intervene to ensure that Tayside’s Acute Services Review reports sooner than the end of 2000.

Susan Deacon: The timescale of the Acute Services Review is a matter for the health board to consider.

Hospitals

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will hold a public inquiry into the running of Stracathro Hospital, Angus, by Tayside Health Board and the local NHS Trust.

Susan Deacon: The future provision of services at Stracathro needs to be considered in the context of the current Tayside Acute Services Review which involves discussion with clinicians, primary care and other key partners in addition to public involvement.

Influenza

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what promotional material will be available to encourage take-up of the flu vaccine by the over 65s this year and how any such material will be made accessible.

Susan Deacon: Publicity to accompany the flu vaccination programme is currently being considered by Scottish Executive Health Department officials and by the Winter Performance Group, which comprises a range of external professionals and NHS interests. I shall make an announcement on final plans later this year.

Kingston Bridge

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) best and (b) worst estimate is of the lifespan of the Kingston Bridge following the recent structural repairs and what assumptions were made to arrive at each of these estimates.

Sarah Boyack: In accordance with UK technical standards, the Kingston Bridge was originally designed for 120 years. The current strengthening works will, with normal maintenance, secure the balance of this engineering life.

Mental Illness

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many informal carers of people suffering from mental illness there are.

Iain Gray: This information is not held by the Scottish Executive. The Carers National Association, 91 Mitchell Street, Glasgow, G1 3LN (tel. no: 0141 221 9141, e-mail: internet@carerscotland.demon.co.uk) will be able to provide information on carers in Scotland.

Mental Illness

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the needs of carers of mentally ill people differ from the needs of other carers; if so, in what way, and what measures it has put in place to directly address any specific needs of carers of mentally ill people.

Iain Gray: Carers who look after people with mental illness can be at a disadvantage to other carers. Mentally ill people might be more prone to confusion than other vulnerable people and this combined with possible negative reactions to prescribed drugs may lead to challenging behaviour. Problems in addition to mental illness, e.g. physical disability, can exacerbate a mentally ill person’s state of mind.

  Under the Strategy for Carers in Scotland, legislative proposals will be drawn up to effect better provision of services for all carers, including those who look after mentally ill people. The Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland encourages all the care partner agencies involved in mental health to include carers and service users in the strategic planning process of the mental health services provided in their local area. The Mental Illness Specific Grant scheme provides funding via local authorities to local organisations offering services to carers of people who are mentally ill.

Mental Illness

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money is saved each year as a result of informal carers caring for people with mental illness.

Iain Gray: It is not known how much public money is saved through informal caring of people with a mental illness or who are vulnerable in some other way. However, the Strategy for Carers in Scotland recognises that informal carers make a significant contribution to relieving pressure on public services.

Mental Illness

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what organisations it has consulted on the issue of addressing the needs of carers of people with mental illness since May 1999.

Iain Gray: Since May last year, from the preparation through to the continuing implementation of the Strategy for Carers in Scotland , the Scottish Executive has been in contact with the following national voluntary carers organisations on a wide range of matters that will include the needs of carers of mentally ill people; Carers National Association, Coalition of Carers in Scotland, Princes Royal Trust (for Carers), Crossroads Scotland and Shared Care Scotland.

Mental Illness

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many support groups or support programmes for carers of people with mental illness it funds or part-funds in each local authority area and, for those it funds, how much funding it (a) is currently providing and (b) provided in each of the last three years.

Iain Gray: Under Mental Illness Specific Grant, support is given to eight projects which provide specific support to carers, as follows:

  


Local Authority


Project


1998-99
£


1999-2000
£


2000-01
£




Aberdeen City


NSF Carers


13,709


13,709


13,709




Aberdeenshire


NSF Carers


14,703


14,703


14,703




Angus


Carer support


33,729


33,729


33,729




Dumfries & Galloway


Alzheimer Scotland Carer Support 
Service


32,000


31,712


31,712




Fife


NSF Carers


29,289


28,557


28,716




Edinburgh City


Care for Carers- Saturday Breaks


7,720


7,720


7,720




Glasgow City


East End Community Carers


21,560


20,925


20,694




South Lanarkshire


Rutherglen/Toryglen Carers Association


67,245


78,066


78,090




  Note: Funded 70:30 Scottish Executive/Local Authorities. The figures refer to 100% funding.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive offers national carers organisations funds towards their core administration costs, and for specific initiatives. These organisations offer advice and support to carers across Scotland. The information requested is shown in the following table:

  


Organisation


1998-99
£


1999-2000
£


2000-01
£




Carers National Association


106,000


109,180


109,180




Crossroads


41,008


42,238


60,088




Shared Care Scotland


53,157


71,752


71,752




  Funding Source: Sections 9 and 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.

  Funding is also provided by health boards and local authorities from their general allocations to meet their statutory requirements to provide services for people with mental health problems. This includes support and assistance to carers: such funding is not separately identified.

Midwifery

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to health authorities on the appropriate number of women and babies to be in the care of any one midwife.

Susan Deacon: Currently our policy in Scotland for the care of women who are pregnant or who are in labour is not focused on ratios of women to midwives but on creating a climate which encourages the full involvement of the woman in the planning of her care and in exercising choice; on providing scope for midwives to practise to the full range of their professional skills and competence, and on enhancing the contribution midwives make through extending their skills.

Midwifery

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people started midwifery training in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999 and what promotion of midwifery training takes place in order to attract trainees.

Susan Deacon: Commencements to midwifery programmes for the years 1997-98 to 1999-2000 are shown in the table below.

  


Year


3-Year Programme


18-Month Programme


Total




1997-98


171


90


261




1998-99


183


68


251




1999-2000


191


73


264




  Promotion of midwifery courses is undertaken by the higher education institutions who run the courses. In addition, the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting in Scotland Careers Information Service publishes a careers information booklet for those interested in a career in midwifery. This information also appears on the world wide web.

Ministerial Correspondence

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Health and Community Care intends to reply to my letters of 24 March 2000 and 8 May 2000 regarding my constituent Moira Steinbach.

Susan Deacon: I replied to the letter dated 24 March on 28 April 2000 and I have arranged for a copy of this to be sent to Mr Salmond. I regret that I can find no record of receiving a further letter regarding Mr Salmond’s constituent Moira Steinbach.

NHS Funding

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government requesting the immediate release of any share of the money raised from the recent auction of mobile phones licences which Scotland is to receive, in order to provide health boards with additional funding.

Susan Deacon: No. Responsibility for mobile phone licences is a reserved matter. Scotland will, of course, receive the consequentials of UK public spending decisions under the Barnett formula.

NHS Funding

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8486 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 July 2000, whether the £34 million from the central reserve being diverted towards health-related spending will be allocated to areas of special need such as Glasgow.

Susan Deacon: As the Deputy First Minister announced on 4 July, the Cabinet has guaranteed that at least £34 million of the central reserve will be committed to health-related spending. Some of the elements of this spending have already been announced, including money to tackle homelessness and to enable local authorities to complement the activity of the NHS in tackling delayed discharge from hospitals. Other announcements will be made in the coming weeks.

Nutrition

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place in the NHS to treat and manage malnutrition.

Susan Deacon: There are no formal guidelines specifically targeted at malnutrition in the community. In 1999 by the Scottish Executive Health Department set out an action plan for nursing homes to assess the nutritional status of residents and provide for their dietary needs in line with UK Department of Health Dietary Reference Values. The plan was also to be applied by health boards and Trusts in all NHS facilities.

  The Scottish Executive is also pursuing a range of initiatives to encourage and support people to make the lifestyle changes necessary to improve their health.

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of any plans it has to promote public transport to the Braehead Shopping Centre.

Sarah Boyack: The provision of public transport to the Braehead Shopping Centre is a matter for individual operators and Strathclyde Passenger Transport, as local transport authority.

Road Safety

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the last safety audit was carried out on the A725 and which parts of the route were covered by it.

Sarah Boyack: Safety audits are only undertaken when road improvements are constructed. However, a Route Accident Reduction Plan (RARP) study was carried out in 1999 on the A725 trunk road between Whirlies Roundabout, East Kilbride and Whistleberry Toll, Bothwell.

  A RARP study is currently ongoing on the A725 between Raith Interchange and Shawhead Junction with the A8.

Road Safety

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many road traffic accidents took place on the A725 in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority and specifying in each case the number of fatalities and serious injuries.

Sarah Boyack: The number of road traffic accidents on the A725 trunk road in the last five years, broken down by local authority, and the number of fatalities and serious injuries is as follows:

  South Lanarkshire

  


Year


Total Accidents


Fatalities


Serious Injury




1995


36


1


7




1996


33


0


10




1997


22


1


5




1998


35


0


9




1999


31


0


3




  North Lanarkshire

  


Year


Total Accidents


Fatalities


Serious Injury




1995


17


0


3




1996


23


0


6




1997


23


1


3




1998


26


0


5




1999


19


0


4

Sexual Abuse

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provision of support and funding of counselling services for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse is a matter for health boards; if so, which health boards currently provide such support and funding; what the level of funding was for each health board in the last year for which figures are available, and what plans it has to ensure that all health boards provide such services in the future.

Iain Gray: Under The Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland , published in 1997, it is for health boards and NHS Trusts to plan and deliver an appropriate level of provision for the treatment and rehabilitation of people with psychological disorders based on assessed need. This includes psychological therapies for a wide range of emotional, psychological and psychiatric presentations, for example, as a result of trauma, assault, and childhood sexual or physical abuse. As such the information requested on support and funding is not available centrally but the Mental Health and Wellbeing Support Group, established on 31 March, will meet with all health boards and their planning partners to pursue implementation of the Framework agenda.

  Also, research is being undertaking in conjunction with the Edinburgh Association for Mental Health which is looking at adult survivors of child abuse and their needs. The Scottish Executive is contributing to this and will consider the results in due course.

  In addition, the Scottish Executive funds Victim Support Scotland to provide practical and emotional support to all victims of crime. Specially trained volunteers provide specific help to victims of rape and sexual assault, irrespective of gender.

Smoking

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost is to Greater Glasgow Health Board of smoking related illnesses.

Susan Deacon: The information is not held centrally. The precise cost of smoking related disease is difficult to ascertain, since cost data collected centrally from the National Health Service in Scotland cannot be attributed to individual disease. However, a report on hospital care for smoking related diseases in Greater Glasgow Health Board in 1992 estimated the cost of treatment at £14.4 million. Adjusted for inflation this equates to some £18 million in today’s prices. This does not take into account costs associated with community nursing services, prescribing drugs in the community and GP services. (ASH Scotland/HEBS: The Smoking Epidemic: Counting the Cost in Scotland .)

Smoking

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support is being given to help patients stop smoking following myocardial infarction, as outlined by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.

Susan Deacon: All doctors are aware of the importance of patients stopping smoking following myocardial infarction. Patients taking part in cardiac rehabilitation programmes are given repeated brief and supportive advice on how to stop smoking.

  The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in collaboration with Scottish Heart and Arterial Disease Risk Prevention (SHARP) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) have developed "The Heart Pack" which is an implementation kit designed to help GPs implement SIGN Guidelines 40 and 41: Lipids and the prevention of Coronary Heart Disease and Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease following Myocardial Infarction. The pack has been sent to every GP practice in Scotland. I was pleased to have been asked to launch this initiative in February of this year.

  GPs and other primary care staff are able to refer smokers for a course of specialist counselling, advice and support.

  Nicotine Replacement Therapy is also routinely considered as a means of assisting smokers to stop.

Social Exclusion

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are seasonal variations in heating oil prices, whether it has had any discussions with Her Majesty’s Government on the effect in Scotland of such variations on the socially excluded and, if so, what was the outcome.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive has had no discussions with Her Majesty’s Government on the effects of seasonal variations in heating oil prices as this issue is a reserved matter.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of any research or outcome of any investigations which it holds regarding the views and preferences of tourists from the Netherlands who are visiting Scotland.

Henry McLeish: Research suggests that the Dutch come because of their interest in castles, monuments, galleries and the quiet unspoilt nature of the countryside. There is an increasing interest in coming to Scotland for short breaks outwith the main holiday season. Outdoor enthusiasts consider Scotland as an excellent destination for outdoor activities, in particular for walking and cycling holidays, which are growing in popularity. However, research also suggests that some Dutch people visiting Scotland see it as an expensive destination with unreliable weather.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of any research which it holds regarding the effect which the level of fuel prices in Scotland has on tourists.

Henry McLeish: Fuel costs are only one element in the cost of a holiday. There are no plans to conduct specific research on the effect of fuel prices, but as part of their ongoing monitoring, the Scottish Tourist Board are collecting evidence on factors that affect tourism both to and within Scotland.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many tourists arrived in Scotland from Europe by car in each of the last three years; what percentage of tourists visiting Scotland this represents, and which countries tourists who travelled by car to Scotland started their journeys from.

Henry McLeish: Number of EU tourists to Scotland who arrive by car

  


 


1996


1997


1998




Visitors by car from EU


147,000


166,000


175,000




% all EU Visitors


19%


21%


22%




  Source: IPS

  


% all Visitors (from Britain 
& Overseas 


1.2%


1.3%


1.5%




  Source: STB

  Number of tourists from selected EU countries to Scotland that arrive by car in 1998.

  


Country


Tourist who arrive 
in Scotland in 1998
(% of all visitors 
from that country)




Germany


59,000 (30%)




France


21,000 (16%)




Netherlands


33,000 (31%)




Spain 


7,000 (11%)




Italy


8,000 (11%)




  Source: IPS.

  Note: The above five countries represent almost 75% of all car tourists to Scotland from the EU.

  Comprehensive figures for 1999 will not be available until after the summer.

Water Authorities

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the salary of £105,000 for the Chief Executive of the Scottish Water Authority was determined.

Sarah Boyack: In line with statute, the appointment and terms and conditions of Chief Executives of the three Scottish water authorities were determined by the boards of the authorities and approved by Scottish Ministers.